Pamela Matson

Pamela Matson

Chester Naramore Dean of the School of Earth Sciences, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor in Environmental Studies; Senior Fellow - Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Type:
Senior Fellow

School:
Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences

Additional Information:

Center on Food Security and the Environment, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Center for Ocean Solutions

Research Area(s):
Climate, Ecosystem Services and Conservation, Sustainable Development

Biography

Pam Matson's research focuses on the consequences of agricultural intensification, land use change, and nitrogen deposition for ecosystems and the atmosphere, and on sustainable development issues in developing regions. Working mostly in the tropics, she and her colleagues have identified the negative consequences of deforestation and intensive agriculture for the global and local atmosphere, freshwater, and marine systems, and are working to develop new approaches that reduce those impacts while maintaining human livelihoods and well-being. She also works on the vulnerability of food and water systems to climate change.

Videos

Thinking Matters: Meeting the Global Sustainability Challenge

September 23, 2014

Woods Co-Director and Senior Fellow Jeff Koseff and Woods Senior Fellow and Dean of the School of Earth Sciences Pam Matson discuss “Meeting the Global Sustainability Challenge,” a course they co-teach. The course is part of Thinking Matters, a program designed to help Stanford freshmen transition from high school to college by introducing them to a multidisciplinary approach to learning that emphasizes critical analysis, close reading and creative problem solving. Read more about Thinking Matters.